An award winning celebrity look-alike will be the headline act for the Green Folk Fest in Vancouver on August 13th from 7 pm to 9 pm at the labyrinth of First Congregational United Church of Christ. Ted Vigil is a John Denver tribute artist who performs at casinos, fairs, and festivals all over the country. For Vigil to perform at a Green Folk Fest is in keeping with the legacy and spirit of John Denver. Denver often used his star power to further environmental causes. In an open letter written in opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Denver said, “To be human is to be nourished by the wild country. To know that there is a place where the eagle flies in freedom, the grizzly walks in majesty, and the caribou runs with the wind across the open tundra, lifts the human spirit.”
For Vigil to perform at a church is in keeping with his own roots. Adopted out of Colorado and raised in the Seattle area, Vigil began playing for a church folk band at the age of eight. He has been performing ever since. In 2006, he was the national title for “Talent Quest” in Laughlin, Nevada. In 2007, he won the Celebrity Look-Alike contest conducted by an ABC-affiliated station in Seattle (KOMO 4).
The event at which Vigil will be performing in Vancouver is a music festival devoted to celebrating music with environmental themes or themes related to coal mining. The idea for the Green Folk Fest was conceived by Coal Free Washington-Southwest, a local organization devoted to transitioning the state of Washington away from coal energy production and consumption. More recently, the group has been involved in working to prevent the transport of coal to China through Columbia River ports such as the one in Longview.
The event is free, and free ice cream will be served. For more information about Ted Vigil, visit www.tedvigil.com.
Sponsors for the event include Coal Free Washington-Southwest, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Friends of East Fork, Heritage Farm, KBOO Community Radio, Oregon Conservancy Foundation, Sierra Club’s Loo-Wit Group, and Sierra Club Beyond Coal.